Ailey II Celebrates Golden Anniversary Season at The Joyce Theater in April

Fresh on the heels of a successful world tour, Ailey II, the celebrated second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, returns to The Joyce Theater from April 9 – 14 with a golden anniversary celebratory program. During the eight-performance engagement their “dynamic movement and dazzling technique” will shine in premieres by Artistic Director Francesca Harper and the exciting duo of Baye & Asa, Amadi ‘Baye’ Washington and Sam ‘Asa’ Pratt, alongside repertory favorites and revered classics by beloved founder Alvin Ailey, William Forsythe, and Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison. 

For half a century, Ailey II has merged the spirit and energy of the country’s best early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers. Founded in 1974, the company embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Under the leadership of Sylvia Waters, who served as artistic director for 38 seasons, Ailey II flourished into one of the most popular modern dance companies, providing a bridge between The Ailey Schooland the professional dance world. On its 50th anniversary, Ailey II continues to thrive, with artistic director Francesca Harper bringing a fresh dimension to the company as she propels a beloved tradition forward.

“We could not be more excited to continue the year-long celebration of 50 years of Ailey II at The Joyce,” said Francesca Harper. “As we commemorate this milestone, it was important to me that the New York season programming recognize the rich history of the company as well as its legacy shaping the future. This desire is embedded in the fabric of my second work for the company, Luminous. I am confident New Yorkers will be deeply moved and feel revitalized by the most talented up-and-coming dancers in the nation.”

The stage will spring to life with Francesca Harper’s Luminous, a work paying homage to five decades of Ailey II and the artists who have paved the way for future generations. Underscored by an original composition and vocals by Nona Hendryx, the work weaves iconic moments of the past into a tapestry of the periods when the company influenced the cultural landscape. These stories and memories testify to the continuing commitment of Ailey II under Harper to break boundaries, push artistic limits, advocate for social change, and highlight the power of community. 

2023 Dance Magazine Harkness Promise Award recipients Baye & Asa’s John 4:20expands a duet the choreographers originally created in 2018. The piece began as an interrogation of their shared history and divergent identities as New Yorkers, as male dancers, and as a White American and a Black American. Through the personal dynamics of their brotherhood they address the larger political landscape of their upbringing. The new iteration of John 4:20 captures relationships, friends, and siblings in a group of new bodies struggling to show the reality of violence and the necessity for empathy. 

The engagement will also include William Forsythe’s captivating work Enemy in the Figure (excerpt); new productions of Ailey Highlights, a collection of excerpts from three classics choreographed by Alvin Ailey between 1958 and 1972; and Judith Jamison’sDivining, a solo excerpted from her first major work as a choreographer for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, created in 1984 at the request of her mentor, Alvin Ailey. Set to a score of North African, Central African, and Latin rhythms, Divining builds on African dance idioms to create a striking, pulsating modern dance work. 

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